Is Juul Out Of Business? Juul is a company that makes electronic cigarettes. Juul began with two guys, Adam Bowen and James Monsees, who went to Stanford and came up with this idea. At first, they raked in a ton of money, but then things turned sour. People said Juul tried to get kids to use their products. They didn’t let anyone know that their stuff could be addictive. Now, is Juul out of business? Let’s see.
Juul is not out of business; it is still operating, but they’ve faced many issues. Netflix just released a new movie called “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul,” and people are buzzing about it. This film shares the story of Juul, a company in Silicon Valley that made a lot of money selling e-cigarettes. But ran into serious problems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) didn’t like how they advertised. They faced a bunch of lawsuits. The documentary discusses how they got into trouble for how they sold their e-cigarettes. Some people claimed they targeted young folks. While others said, Juul didn’t warn anyone that their products could be harsh to quit.
Although Juul is still in business. Their official website says that their main goal is to get rid of regular cigarettes. They’re focused on making sure young people don’t use their products. If you want to check out their website, you must prove you’re 21 or older. They have extra steps to make sure only grown-ups can use it. They’re still selling their products. But they’re less popular than before due to all the problems they ran into.
Why Did The FDA Ban Juul But Not Other E-Cigarettes?
The FDA told Juul they couldn’t sell their products anymore. The FDA did this because Juul didn’t prove that their yummy e-cigarettes were safe. The FDA wants to be sure things won’t hurt people.
Juul isn’t the favorite e-cigarette for young folks. They like other brands better, such as Vuse, Logic, and NJOY. These brands can still sell tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, but Juul can’t. Some studies say that when they stopped selling tasty regular cigarettes in 2009, it helped a bunch. Fewer young people started smoking.
Juul has been having problems for a while. Some people think their little vapes are getting lots of young folks hooked on nicotine. This FDA decision is like the last part of Juul’s big story of troubles.
Juul’s Journey: Challenges and Changes in the E-Cigarette World
Juul was started in 2015 by two guys named Adam Bowen and James Monsees. They used to smoke cigarettes and wanted to create a better alternative. So, they made an e-cigarette called Ploom.
In 2015, they changed the company name to Pax Labs and developed Juul. The company became independent from Pax Labs in 2017.
In 2018, a big tobacco company called Altria bought a 35% share of Juul for a considerable amount of money – $12.8 billion. Altria gave Juul an extra $2 billion to share among its employees. However, Juul faced a lot of problems. They got into trouble for their marketing, especially towards young people. By 2020, their market share dropped to 42%; by 2022, it fell further to 28%.
In 2022, the FDA said Juul couldn’t sell its products in the U.S., but a court stopped that decision the next day. Juul has been involved in more than 5,000 lawsuits, paying millions in settlements. They settled one case for $255 million in January and agreed to pay between $1.2 and $1.7 billion in December 2022. Juul also faced investigations about how they marketed to teens.
The company had some leadership changes. Kevin Burns was CEO but stepped down in 2019, with K.C. Crosthwaite taking over. Juul’s value dropped greatly – from $38 billion in 2018 to $450 million in July 2022. It’s been a bumpy ride for Juul, facing challenges and changes in the business world.
Juul Faces Big Lawsuits and Pays Millions in Settlements
As Forbes reported, Juul got into big trouble with more than 5,000 lawsuits. People said the company did tricky advertising and didn’t warn them about the problems with using their e-cigarettes.
In January, Juul settled one lawsuit for $255 million. They were accused of using tricky marketing, according to Forbes. In December 2022, they agreed to pay a massive amount, between $1.2 and $1.7 billion, to 10,000 people in 5,000 cases in California. In September 2022, Juul decided to pay over $432 million for investigations in many states about how they might have advertised to teenagers, as Forbes mentioned.
Juul had to give away a lot of money in these lawsuits. This year, they agreed to pay $462 million to end cases that said they tried to get young people to use their products and didn’t say that the stuff in their e-cigarettes could be addictive, according to The New York Times.
Is Juul Safer Than Cigarettes?
A study in 2022 by K Health discovered that using e-cigarettes like Juul isn’t as harmful as smoking regular cigarettes. They studied adults who use e-cigarettes and found that these adults are exposed to fewer dangerous things compared to those who smoke traditional cigarettes. But it’s crucial to remember that using any kind of e-cigarette is still not completely safe.
Why Is Juul So Popular Among Adults?
Juul has become popular among adolescents for several reasons. One of the main reasons is its discreet design. Juul’s look like flash drives and are skinnier than standard vapes, providing the tobacco through flavored pods. Each Juul pod contains about 200 puffs, with the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
Another reason is the variety of flavors. Juul offers flavors such as mango, fruit medley, and creme brulee, which are appealing to young people.
Juul has a solid social media presence. Juul used to give money to social media stars to talk about their product on their pages. Even though they stopped doing that, and it was just a few famous people, social media is super strong. If one calm person talks about something, lots of folks can hear about it immediately because of sharing and talking. Teens also share posts of themselves vaping to feel accepted by their peers.
Notably, Juul’s popularity among adolescents has been a cause for concern. As it has been accused of helping hook an entire new generation on nicotine.
Can You Still Buy Juul Products?
Yes, you can still buy Juul. You can purchase Juul products online from the official Juul website or from several other online retailers. You can also find Juul products in select brick-and-mortar stores in some countries. Juul still sells pods and e-cigarettes on the internet and in stores. They became famous for their different pod flavors, but now they only have two – tobacco and menthol.
Guess what? Juul is also working on some new things. They want to make a particular device to check if you’re old enough to use it. That’s like having a super-secret password only for grown-ups. They’re trying to be extra careful about who can buy their stuff.
Are There Any Other Good Alternatives To Juul?
Here are some other alternatives if you’re thinking about something different than Juul:
- SMOK Infinix: This one is like Juul but a bit different. It’s smaller but gives more puffs, and you can fill it with different liquid flavors.
- Rubi Vape: This is a small, light, and easy to carry around. It’s refillable so you can use any liquid in it.
- Vuse Alto: This is a good choice, too. It has a more enormous pod than Juul, and you don’t need to press any buttons – you breathe in, and it works. People like this one.
- SMOK Novo: Another option is the SMOK Novo. It has a bigger battery and can hold more liquid than Juul.
- Vaporesso Xross Mini: A bigger battery and pod capacity compared to Juul. Plus, you can fill it with any e-liquid you prefer.
- Uwell Caliburn: Similar to Juul but with a larger battery and pod capacity. It’s also refillable, so you have choices for your liquid.
- Lost Vape Orion Q: This one has a much bigger battery and pod capacity than Juul.
Remember, being careful with these is essential, as none are entirely risk-free. Always be mindful and use them responsibly.
Juul’s Future
Juul’s future is still being determined. In June 2022, the FDA ordered Juul to remove its products from the market due to inadequate toxicology data. Juul has since appealed the decision, and the FDA is currently reviewing the data. In March 2023, tobacco giant Altria exchanged its minority ownership stake in Juul for the right to license some of Juul’s intellectual property. What the future holds for Juul needs to be clarified. However, it has obtained new financing to stay in business and continue operations, which includes challenging plans by the FDA to ban its products.
Wrapping Up
Juul is still in business, but it has faced challenges lately. In June 2022, the US FDA told Juul to take its products off the market, citing insufficient safety data. Juul appealed, and the FDA is reviewing the case. In March 2023, Altria traded its part ownership in Juul for the right to use Juul’s ideas. Juul got new funding to keep running and resist the FDA’s attempt to ban its products. So, Juul is dealing with difficulties, but it still needs to be out of business. The future will depend on how things unfold with the FDA and Juul’s decisions to stay afloat.
